PWA Sylt World Cup - Victory on day 3 for Moussilmani and Angulo

by Chris Yates on 1 Oct 2013 Day three of the GP Joule PWA Sylt World Cup saw the offshore winds continue as the first two eliminations of the week were completed in the men’s slalom. Today saw slightly choppier water conditions as the wind turned slightly more cross-shore than yesterday, in the region of 9-22 knots. By the end of the day Cyril Moussilmani (Starboard / Severne) and Josh Angulo (Angulo / Gun Sails) stormed to the opening victories of the week in front of a huge crowd as the glorious weather continued.

The winners’ final was the first heat to be sailed today as Australia’s Steven Allen (Starboard / Severne) made the perfect start by crossing the start line in first place. However, Cyril Moussilmani (Starboard / Severne), showed tremendous speed on the first straight to burst into the lead ahead of Gonzalo Costa Hoevel (Starboard / Loft Sails), Allen and Antoine Albeau (RRD / NeilPryde). Moussilmani looked extremely comfortable at the front of the pack as he extended his lead by the third mark, a lead which he wouldn’t relinquish as he claimed the first victory of the week. Costa Hoevel and Albeau maintained their second and third places but twenty-year-old Jordy Vonk (Patrik / Loft Sails) forced his way into the top four to claim his best finish to date on the PWA World Tour.

Josh Angulo and Pascal Toselli (Tabou / Point-7) made equally good starts to the second winners’ final of the day, but it was the Frenchman who held the lead into the opening gybe ahead of Angulo, Taty Frans (Starboard / MauiSails / Mystic / Maui Ultra Fins) and Julien Quentel (RRD / NeilPryde). Toselli still led into the third mark, but a perfect gybe from Angulo saw him move into first place. This proved to be a position he wouldn’t relinquish as he took his first bullet of the week. In the meantime Albeau, Quentel and Frans enjoyed a fierce battle over the remainder of the course, which Quentel eventually won as he showed tremendous speed to take home second place ahead of Toselli. Matteo Iachino (F2 / Challenger / AL360) did brilliantly to fight his way back into the top four on the final straight as Frans and Albeau finished in fifth and sixth place respectively.

Elsewhere in the second elimination Bjorn Dunkerbeck’s (Starboard / Severne / Dunkerbeck Eyewear / Chris Benz) turbulent season continued as he took a surprise first round exit, the terminator finished in fifth place in heat one.

However, Dunkerbeck wasn’t the only high profile casualty in the opening round as Ludovic Jossin (Patrik / Loft Sails) and Ross Williams (Tabou / Gaastra) also failed to advance. Taty Frans on the other hand produced a superb comeback in heat seven. The Bonairean fell at the first mark, but he was soon storming his way back through the fleet with phenomenal board speed and textbook gybes to secure the final qualifying position.

Andrea Ferin (RRD / Challenger / AL360) was visibly delighted by the end of heat twelve after the Italian claimed first place to book his place in the semifinals along with Peter Volwater (Fanatic / Avanti), Taty Frans and Cyril Moussilmani. However, Ferin couldn’t quite book his place in the winners’ final as he finished in sixth place in heat fourteen.

The forecast for tomorrow is currently predicting slightly lighter winds than today, but Tuesday still offers the potential for more racing with the slalom sailors armed with their bigger equipment. The skippers’ meeting for the slalom and freestyle fleets will be held at 10am tomorrow morning with the action commencing from 10:30am, whilst the wave sailors will meet at 1pm with a first possible start at 1:30pm.

Results After Two Eliminations - Men’s Slalom

1st Julien Quentel (RRD / NeilPryde)
2nd Cyril Moussilmani (Starboard / Severne)
3rd Antoine Albeau (RRD / NeilPryde)
4th Steve Allen (Starboard / Severne)
5th Taty Frans (Starboard / MauiSails / Mystic / Maui Ultra Fins)
6th Matteo Iachino (F2 / Challenger / AL360)
7th Alberto Menegatti (Starboard / Point-7)
8th Micah Buzianis (JP / MauiSails)
9th Jordy Vonk (Patrik / Loft Sails)
10th Gonzalo Costa Hoevel (Starboard / Loft PWA World Windsurf World Cup